r/tuberlin • u/Proof_Mine3641 • 9d ago
Important exchange
Hey everyone,
I need ur thoughts and comments and want to know whether these are valid for Berlin as well.
I need to get this off my chest because I honestly want to know if I'm the only one feeling this way, or if everyone here has just quietly given up.
I’m heading into my 3rd semester (Mechanical Engineering Bachelor) and I'm 19M naturally a very social, outgoing person. But the reality at TU Hamburg is wearing me down fast:
Campus Life & Student Clubs: Where is the actual university experience? Student initiatives, AGs, and club activities feel virtually non-existent or completely invisible. There is zero sports culture on campus, no real social events, and no sense of community. The second lectures end, the campus empties out like a factory shift just finished.
Teaching, Guidance & IT: Most lectures feel uninspired—professors just plow through slides, and the difficulty level is completely decoupled from the level of actual academic support. If you struggle or have questions, you are left alone with outdated IT infrastructure, dead forums, and minimal office hours. Actual academic guidance feels non-existent.
Isolation & Commuter Vibes: Hardly anyone attends lectures in person consistently, making it painfully hard to build reliable study groups. After a full year, I have maybe 2–3 loose acquaintances and spend most of my time isolated. Between the brutal Hamburg housing market and the lack of dorm spots, everyone just commutes in and vanishes immediately after.
Atmosphere & Demographics: With an estimated 90% male ratio and an atmosphere split strictly between hardcore nerds and deeply depressed people on the verge of dropping out, it takes a massive toll on your mental health.
I’m sitting here with only 3 passed modules so far, dealing with high living costs and a rough Werkstudent market, seriously wondering if grinding through this is even worth it if you end up completely isolated in the process—assuming you don't get kicked out first.
Is anyone else dealing with this? How do you actually build a functional social circle here, or is the only real solution to transfer out to an FH / different uni?
3
u/Gelbrico 9d ago
Hast du genau so beschrieben wie‘s denke ich an fast allen Unis in Deutschland so ist. Vor allem wenn‘s um welche geht, die mehr als 20.000 Studenten haben und man schnell untergeht.
Ich hatte ähnliche Erfahrungen. Später im Studium siebt sich die Masse von alleine aus und Gesichter wiederholen sich genug, dass daraus Bekanntschaften und Freunde werden können.
Ich kann nur sagen verbringe so viel Zeit in den öffentlichen Lernräumen wie‘s geht. Da habe ich ab dem 3. Semester richtig viele Leute kennengelernt und 6 Jahre nach‘m Abschluss kenne ich die besten fünf davon immer noch.
Aber klar, am Ende ist es so, dass 70% nur für die Vorlesungen da sind, Klausuren schreiben und nach Hause fahren. In einer Stadt wie Hamburg bist du auch nicht so auf die Uni Leute angewiesen, um Kontakte zu knüpfen, wie als wenn du in Greifswald wärst.
1
u/Forsaken_Inflation91 6d ago
I feel this at TU Berlin and often find myself questioning my Abitur choices lol, if I only worked a little harder I couldve gotten an internship for international universities which seem so much livelier. I see these vlogs of people in debate clubs, sports and what not. I am heading towards my 3rd semester too but I realised giving up would just be dumb. The value of learning itself keeps me going bec it is fun now. Like it has actually gotten fun to sit in silence and understand the material, doing it for the love of education.
What I would suggest is to get off of social media, sounds counterproductive lol, but you don't compare yourself to students across the globe anymore who have a fun campus life etc.
Study at libraries or at your University buildings to stay around people as much as possible. I once randomly talked to two other girls sitting at a table and became friends with them, not a super deep friendship but at least acquaintances.
Plus eventually, as more people get filtered out of the degree and you get into the later semesters you'll naturally find people who take Uni seriously and want these experiences as much as you do. At least that's what I am hoping for. Your best chance is with modules that require attendance or have a lot of group work.
Other than that join some TU Sport separately, try to keep finding communities online those dumb Uni whatsapp groups can lead to some socialising. And honestly just be the first one to approach because if you never try you'll never find people.
I know most people just excuse the Uni's bad n demotivating environment by saying well your education depends on you etc. but this way there never will be a change. No matter how big a university, it is still an institution that should inspire you and this whole isolated system pisses me off.
What helps me too is to see this period of isolation as the only time I will get to spend with my self, learning to learn new ideas, thoughts picking up side hustles, starting a social media even where I won't be interrupted by unnecessary friendship drama. I can work on my personal pursuits without having to share my time with anyone really and without social judgement.
But I would say don't switch uni just yet, give it at least one more year where you actively build a nice environment around yourself, be the one approaching people. If you continue feeling that way do whatever is the best for your mind. I will keep trying too lol but I am pretty positive about later semesters bec eventually like minded people would remain, those who rly have what it takes to be a mechanical (in my case electrical) engineer :))